Irregular govt spending has more than doubled

At the end of October auditor-general Kimi Makwetu presented the bad news to Parliament that irregular state spending had jumped from R27.4-billion in the 2012/2013 financial year, to an inexcusable R62.7-billion for 2013/2014. Last year’s figure was bad enough, as it was a billion-rand increase from the 2012 figure of R26.2-billion. But the more than Read more >

Former Wits dean probed for fraudulent deals

By Ayanda Mkhwanazi The Hawks are investigating a former Wits University dean and National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS) head for his alleged role in the laboratory’s procurement of HIV testing kits worth R18-million, that never arrived. Professor Ahmed Wadee has been at the centre of the investigation since January, when the NHLS laid criminal charges against Read more >

Seriti Commission given five more months

Judge Willie Seriti has been given another five months in which to finish investigating bribery, corruption and other acts of impropriety which might have happened during the acquisition of prime mission equipment for two arms of the South African National Defence Force in 1999. President Jacob Zuma said in a statement released last Friday that, Read more >

Sanral secrecy has dire implications

Dear Corruption Watch, I live in Cape Town, and I'm concerned about the new toll roads that Sanral wants to establish here. I heard that the matter is in court, but also heard that the court documents are secret. How can that be? Confused and Concerned Dear Confused, You're right to ask about this issue. Read more >

Bribery doesn’t always pay

Our hero this week is the state for successfully securing the conviction and imprisonment of a police officer for accepting bribes related to drug use. The state sometimes gets it wrong, but this time it got it right. The police constable, Ricardo Abrahams, had been under scrutiny after a complaint that police at the Grassy Read more >